Magnetic holder



July 13, 1965 J. F. MARTIN 33 V MAGNETIC HOLDER Filed Nov. 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet Tull: IlI'lli lllllillllililllllIIIIIHFIT 0 F/GG 46 44 36 46 4O lNVENTOR.

JOHN F MA f? T /N ATTORNEYS July 13, 1965 J. F. MARTIN 3,195,021

MAGNETIC HOLDER Filed Nov. 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 7

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'lllll/Il/l/I/(IIfI/l 'lIlII/IIIIIIII) United States Patent f 3,195,021 MAGNETIC HOLDER John F. Martin, East Longmeadow, Mass, assignor to Phelon Magnagrip Company, Inc East Longmeadow, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Nov. 26, 1962, er. No. 240,473 8 Claims. (Cl. 317-159) This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 71,064, filed November 22, 1960, now abandoned and bearing the title Magnetic Holder.

' This invention relates to a magnetic holder or rack of the general type which utilizes one or more permanent magnets and which is adapted to hold articles consisting at least partially of magnetic material. More particularly, the invention relates to a magnetic holder of the general type mentioned and which is particularly adapted for holding kitchen utensils such as cutlery, shears and the like; and which may also be used to advantage -in a workshop for holding small metallic tools and other articles.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a magnetic holder of the type mentioned which utilizes a ceramic magnet and which is of a desirably simple and yet durable construction particularly well suited to low cost quantity production.

The drawings show two embodiments of the invention and such embodiments will be described, but it will be understood that various changes may be made from the constructions disclosed, and that the drawing and description are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a first holder embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the holder of FIG. 1 with a portion of a pole bar therein broken away.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section taken generally as indicated by the line 3-3 in FIG.-1.

FIG. 4 is a vertical transverse section taken as indicated at 4-4 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary front View of a pole bar forming a part of the holder.

8 FIG. 6 is a fragmentary bottom view of the pole bar of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a second holder embodying the invention.

FIG. 8 is a rear view of the holder of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary section taken as indicated at 9-9 in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary front view of a pole bar forming a part of the holder of FIG. 7.

The magnetic racks or holders of the present invention are adapted to be mounted on a wall of a room or the like as indicated generally in FIGS. 1 and 7. The manner in which articles may be held by the racks or holders is illustrated in FIG. 1 wherein two articles of cutlery 1t) and 12 and a screw driver 14 are shown on the holder. The FIG. 1 holder has an elongated non-magnetic housing indicated generally at 16 which is adapted to be at tached to a room wall or the like which has a substantially flat elongated front wall 18. The front wall 18 is held in spaced relationship with a room wall or the like when the housing 16 is mounted thereon and, as shown, the housing 16 also has elongated top and bottom walls 20 and 22 integral with the front wall 18 and short integrally formed opposing end walls 24 and 26. Partially circular end flanges 28, 28 formed at rear edge portions of the'end walls 24, 24 are provided with circular 3,195,021 Patented July 13, 1965 openings 30, 39 for convenient attachment of the housing to a room wall or the like by means of screws or other suitable connecting devices.

In accordance with the invention, the hat elongated front wall 18 of the housing 16 is provided with vertically spaced longitudinally extending openings. Preferably,

and as shown, said front wall is provided with an upper longitudinally extending series of longitudinally spaced and longitudinally aligned horizontal openings or slots 32, 32. Eight slots 32, 32 are shown, but the number of slots may vary widely. A lower longitudinal series of longitudinally spaced and longitudinally aligned horizontal openings or slots 34, 34 is preferably also provided and said slots are equal in number to the slots 32, 32 in the upper series of slots and are in vertical alignment or registry therewith in the FIG. 1 holder.

Further in accord with the invention, an elongated generally U-shaped pole bar of magnetic material is provided and such a bar is indicated generally by the reference numeral 36. Said bar is disposed behind the front wall of the housing with its body portion in spaced relationship with saidwall and with longitudinally extending free edge portions thereof projecting forwardly through openings or slots in said front wall so as to be engaged by and to hold magnetic articles. As shown, the pole bar 36 has a substantially flat generally rectangular body portion 38. Upper and lower elongated side portions or arms 40 and 42 of the pole bar 36 are each provided with a longitudinally extending series of forwardly open notches 44, 44. The notches 44, 44 are equally spaced longitudinally and they serve to define teeth 46, 46 on the upper arm 40 and teeth 48, 48 on the lower arm 42, 42. The teeth 46, 46 are in vertical alignment or registry with the corresponding teeth 48, 48. Eight teeth 46, 46 and eight teeth 48, 48 are provided when the front wall 18 of the housing 16 is provided with eight slots 32, 32 and eight slots 34, 34 as shown.

When the pole bar 36 is disposed behind the front wall 18 of the housing 16, the eight teeth 46, 46 project forwardly through the eight slots 32, 32 in said front wall and the eight teeth 48, 48 project forwardly through the eight slots 34, 34 in said wall. As will be seen, magnetic flux is concentrated at the teeth 46, 46 and 48, 48 and articles of magnetic material may be placed thereagainst so as to be held thereby. Referring back to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the articles of cutlery 10 and 12 have their blades in fiat engagement with the longitinaliy extending free edge or end surfaces of vertically aligned pairs of teeth 46, 48 and 46, 48. The screw driver 14, on the other hand, engages adjacent end portions of the end surfaces of two adjacent teeth 46, 46 and similar end portions of the end surfaces of two adjacent teeth 48, 48 aligned vertically with the said two teeth 46, 46.

The manner in which the pole bar 36 is secured in position within the housing 16 may vary widely but, as shown in FIG. 1 and as presently preferred, said pole bar is detachably connected to a central spacer member or rib 50 and to left and right-hand lugs 52 and 54. The rib 50 is formed integrally with the top and bottom housing walls 20 and 22 and the front housing wall 18 and extends between said top and bottom walls at a central portion of the housing. The rib also extends rearwardly from the front wall 18 to a plane spaced forwardly from the rear edges of said top and bottom walls. That is, the rear end surface of the rib 50 or, more specifically, the rear end surface 56 of an enlargement 58 thereon lies in a plane spaced forwardly from the rear edges of. the top and bottom walls 20 and 22. A threaded opening 60 in the enlargement 58 is adapted to receive a screw 62 entered in a suitable opening formed at a central portion of the pole bar 36.

The left and right-hand lugs 52 and 54 are formed respectively at the junctions of the front wall 18 and the end walls 24 and 26. Said lugs have similar coplanar rearwardly facing fiat surfaces 64 and as which lie substantially in the plane of the rear end surface 56 of the enlargement S8. Opposite end portions of the pole bar 36 or, more specifically, end tabs 63 and '70 on said bar flatly engage said surfaces 64 and 66 when the pole bar is held in position within the housing as shown. Screws 72 and 74 entered in suitable openings in the tabs 63 and 7d and in suitably threaded openings in the left and right-hand lugs 52 and 54 may also be provided to secure the pole bar in position.

It will be observed that the upper and lower end portions of the rib d are entered in a centrally located pair of notches 44, 44 in the arms 40 and 42 of the pole bar 36. Similar generally rectangular cavities 76 and 78 are defined on left and right-hand sides of the rib 50 and these cavities respectively receive first and second or left and right-hand generally rectangular permanent magnets 80 and S2. The magnets Sit and 82 are of the ceramic type and they each have opposite parallel flat pole faces at the front and rear. Thus, the magnets may be placed in desired locations on the fiat body portion 38 of the pole bar 36 .and they will thereafter adhere to the pole bar and remain in such locations. The magnets provide a field which is concentrated at the aforementioned projecting end surfaces of the teeth 4-6, 4-6 and 43, 48 to hold magnetic articles in engagement with said end surfaces.

Preferably a series of small lugs 84, 84 are provided internally along the junction line between the top wall 20 and the front wall 18 and a similar series of small lugs 86, 86 is preferably provided internally along the junction line between the bottom wall 22 and the front wall 18. The lugs 84, 84 and 86, 86 substantially strengthen the top and bottom walls 2%) and 22 of the housing 16 and they also serve an additional purpose. As shown, the said lugs project inwardly in the notches 44, 44 between the teeth 46, 46 and in the notches 44 between the teeth 48, 43. The inner end surfaces of the lugs 84, 84 and 86, 86 are spaced inwardly from the teeth 46, 46 and the teeth 48, 48 and said surfaces serve to maintain the magnets 80 and 82 in vertically spaced relationship with the arms 40 and 42 of the pole bar 36.

In FIGS. 7 through there is shown a second holder which is identical with the holder of FIGS. 1 through 6 except for the provision of vertically staggered teeth 46a, 43a, and notches 32a, 34a, and the provision of a central spacer member 50a replacing the central rib 58. The staggered teeth 46a, 43a serve the same purpose as the aforedescribed teeth 46, 43 and require no further description here. The central member 50a serves to engage the pole bar 36:; as best shown in FIG. 9 and maintains the magnets Eida, 82a in longitudinally spaced relationship.

vFrom the foregoing, it will be apparent that the magnetic holders shown and described are of desirably simple and durable construction well suited to low cost quantity production. The housings 16, 16a may be advantageously formed of plastic or a nonmagnetic metal such as aluminum in mass production molding or casting operations. The pole bars 36, 3611 may be advantageously formed from long strips of U-shaped cross section with only a minimum number of cutting operations necessary. Finally, the ceramic magnets 89, 8dr: and 82, 82:; are of identical construction and they are obviously of a conventional configuration well suited to low cost quantity production.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a holder for articles of magnetic material, the combination of an elongated housing of nonmagnetic material adapted to be mounted on a room wall surface and having an elongated fiat front wall formed integrally with parallel elongated top and bottom walls and opposing end walls, said front wall being provided with vertically spaced upper and lower series of longitudinally aligned and longitudinally spaced horizontal slots, a spacer member at a central portion of said housing, a one-piece elongated generally U-shaped pole bar of magnetic material having a flat generally rectangular body portion and integral flat upper and lower arm portions which extend in the same direction and each of which is provided with a longitudinally spaced series of notches defining a longitudinal series of teeth, said pole bar being disposed behind said front wall of the housing with its body portion spaced rearwardly from said front wall and with the teeth on said upper and lower arms thereof projecting forwardly respectively through the slots in said upper and lower series of slots so that the front end surfaces of the teeth can engage and hold articles of magnetic material, means detachably connecting the body portion of said pole bar to said housing, and similar first and second elongated generally rectangular ceramic magnets having opposite parallel ilat pole faces at the front and rear, said magnets being disposed respectively on opposite sides of said spacer member and between said front wall of the housing and the body portion of said pole bar with the rear pole faces of the magnets in engagement with said body portion of the pole bar and with the sides of the magnets in spaced relationship with the said upper and lower arms of the pole bar.

2. In a holder for articles of magnetic material, the combination of an elongated housing of non-magnetic material adapted to be mounted on a room wall surface and having an elongated fiat front wall formed integrally with parallel elongated top and bottom walls and opposing end walls, said front wall being provided with vertically spaced upper and lower series of longitudinally aligned and longitudinally spaced horizontal slots, a spacer member at a central portion of said housing having a rearwardly facing surface in a plane spaced forwardly from the rear edges of said top and bottom walls, an integrally formed lug at the junction of each end wall with said front wall, said lugs having similar coplanar rearwardly facing flat surfaces approximately in the plane of the rear surface of said spacer member, a one-piece elongated generally U-shaped pole bar of magnetic material having a flat generally rectangular body portion and integral flat upper and lower arm portions which extend in the same direction and each of which is provided with a longitudinally spaced series of notches defining a longitudinal series of teeth, said pole bar being disposed behind said front wall of the housing with its body portion spaced rearwardly from said front wall and with the teeth on said upper and lower arms thereof projecting forwardly re spectively through the slots in said upper and lower series of slots so that the front end surfaces of the teeth can engage and hold articles of magnetic material, means detachably connecting said pole bar to said lugs whereby to hold said rearwardly facing surfaces on said lugs and said rear surface on said spacer member flatly in engagement with the body portion of said pole bar, and similar first and second elongated generally rectangular ceramic magnets having opposite parallel fiat pole faces at the front and rear, said magnets being disposed respectively on opposite sides of said spacer member and between said front wall of the housing and the body portion of said pole bar with the rear pole faces of the magnets in engagement with said body portion of the pole bar and with the sides of the magnets in spaced relationship with the said upper and lower arms of the pole bar.

3. In a holder for articles of magnetic material, the combination of an elongated housing of non-magnetic material adapted to be mounted on a room Wall surface and having an elongated flat front wall formed integrally with parallel elongated top and bottom walls and oppos ing end walls, said front wall being provided with vertically spaced upper and lower series of longitudinally aligned and longitudinally spaced horizontally slots, and the slots in one of said series being in vertical alignment with the corresponding slots in the other of said series, a

rib formed integrally at a central portion of said housing and extending between said top and bottom walls and from said front wall rearwardly to a plane spaced forwardly from the rear edges of said top and bottom walls, a one-piece elongated generally U-shaped pole bar of magnetic material having a flat generally rectangular body portion and integral flat upper and lower arm portions which extend in the same direction and each of which is provided with a longitudinally spaced series of notches defining a longitudinal series 'of teeth, the teeth on one of said arms being aligned vertically with the corresponding teeth on the other of said arms, and said pole bar being disposed behind said front wall of the housing with its body portion spaced rearwardly from said front wall and with the teeth on said. upper and lower arms thereof projecting forwardly respectively through the slots in said upper and lower series of slots so that the front end surfaces of the teeth can engage and hold articles of mag netic material, means detachably connecting the body portion of said pole bar to said rib, and similar first and second elongated generally rectangular ceramic magnets having opposite parallel flat pole faces at the front and rear, said magnets being disposed respectively on opposite sides of said rib and between said front wall of the housing and the body portion of said pole bar with the rear pole faces of the magnets in engagement with said body portion of the pole bar and with the sides of the magnets in spaced relationship with the said upper and lower arms of the pole bar.

4. In a holder for articles of magnetic material, the combination of an elongated housing of nonmagnetic material adapted to be mounted on a room wall surface and having an elongated fiat front wall formed integrally with parallel elongated top and bottom walls and opposing end walls, said front wall being provided with vertically spaced upper and lower series of longitudinally aligned and longitudinally spaced horizontal slots, and the slots in one of said series being in vertical alignment with the corresponding slots in the other of said series, a rib formed integrally at a central portion of said housing and extending between said top and bottom walls and from said front wall rearwardly to a plane spaced forwardly from the rear edges of said top and bottom walls, an integrally formed lug at the junction of each end wall with said front wall, said lugs having similar coplanar rearwardly facing fiat surfaces approximately in the plane of the rear end surface of said rib, a one-piece elongated generally U-shaped pole bar of magnetic material having a flat generally rectangular body portion and integral flat upper and lower arm portions which extend in the same direction and each of which is provided with a longitudinally spaced series of notches defining a longitudinal series of teeth, the teeth on one of said arms being aligned vertically with the corresponding teeth on the other of said arms, and said pole bar being disposed behind said front wall of the housing with its body portion spaced rearwardly from said front wall and with the teeth on said upper and lower arms thereof projecting forwardly respectively through the slots in said upper and lower series of slots so that the front end surfaces of the teeth can engage and holds articles of magnetic material, means detachably connecting said pole bar to said rib at a central portion and to said lugs at opposite end portions, said rearwardly facing surfaces on said lugs thus being held flatly in engagement with opposite end portions of said body portion of the pole bar, and similar first and second elongated generally rectangular ceramic magnets having opposite parallel fiat pole faces at the front and rear, said magnets being disposed respectively on opposite sides of said rib and between said front wall of the housing and the body portion of said pole bar with the rear pole faces of the magnets in engagement with said body portion of the pole bar and with the sides of the magnets in spaced relationship with the said upper and lower arms of the pole bar.

5. The combination in a holder for magnetic articles as set forth in claim 4 wherein said top and bottom walls of the housing are each provided with a longitudinally spaced series of small internal projections, said projections being of a size and being so spaced that they enter and extend through the notches between said teeth on the opposite arms of said pole bar whereby to engage upper and lower surfaces of said magnets and to maintain said surfaces in vertically spaced relationship with said opposite arms.

6. In a holder for articles of magnetic material, the combination of an elongated housing of non-magnetic material adapted to be mounted on a room wall surface and having an elongated fiat front wall formed integrally with parallel elongated top and bottom walls and opposing end walls, said front wall being provided with vertically spaced upper and lower series of longitudinally aligned and longitudinally spaced horizontal slots, and the slots in said two series of slots being staggered vertically with respect to each other, a spacer member formed integrally at a central portion of said housing and extending rearwardly to a plane spaced forwardly from the rear edges of said top and bottom walls, a one-piece elongated generally U-shaped pole bar of magnetic material having a fiat generally rectangular body portion and integral flat upper and lower arm portions which extend in the same direction and each of which is provided with a longitudinallyspaced series of notches defining a longitudinal series of teeth, the teeth on said two arms being staggered vertically with respect to each other, and said pole bar being disposed behind said front wall of the housing with its body portion spaced rearwardly from said front wall and with the teeth on said upper and lower arms thereof projecting forwardly respectively through the slots in said upper and lower series of slots so that the front end surfaces of the teeth can engage and hold articles of magnetic material, means detachably connecting the pole portion of said pole bar to said housing, and similar first and second elongated generally rectangular ceramic magnets having opposite parallel fiat pole faces at the front and rear, said magnets being disposed respectively on opposite sides of said spacer member and between said front wall of the housing and the body portion of said pole bar with the rear pole faces of the magnets in engagement with said body portion of the pole bar.

7. In a holder for articles of magnetic material, the combination of an elongated housing of non-magnetic material adapted to be mounted on a room wall surface and having an elongated flat front wall formed integrally with parallel elongated top and bottom walls and opposing end walls, said front wall being provided with vertically spaced upper and lower series of longitudinally aligned and longitudinally spaced horizontal slots, and the slots in said two series of slots being staggered vertically with respect to each other, a spacer member formed integrally at a central portion of said housing and extending rearwardly to a rear surface in a plane spaced forwardly from the rear edges of said top and bottom walls, an integrally formed lug at the junction of each end wall with said front wall, said lugs having similar coplanar rearwardly facing flat surfaces approximately in the plane of the rear surface of said spacer member, a one-piece elongated generally U-shaped pole bar of magnetic material having a flat generally rectangular body portion and integral fiat upper and lower arm portions which extend in the same direction and each of which is provided with a longitudinally spaced series of notches defining a longitudinal series of teeth, the teeth in said two arms being staggered vertically with respect to each other, and said pole bar being disposed behind said front wall of the housing with its body portion spaced rearwardly from said front wall and with the teeth on said upper and lower arms thereof projecting forwardly respectively through the slots in said upper and lower series of slots so that the front end surfaces of the teeth can engage and hold articles of magnetic material, means detachably connecting said pole bar to said lugs at opposite end portions whereby to hold the body portion of said pole bar flatly in engagement with said rear surfaces on said lugs and said rear surface on said spacer member, and similar first and second elongated generally rectangular ceramic magnets having opposite parallel fiat pole faces at the front and rear, said magnets being disposed respectively on opposite sides of said spacer member and between said front wall of the housing and the body portion of said pole bar With rear pole faces of the magnets in engagement with said body portion of the pole bar.

8. The combination in a holder for magnetic articles as set forth in claim 7 wherein said top and bottom walls of the housing are each provided with a longitudinally spaced series of small internal projections, said projections being of a size and being so spaced that they enter 8 and extend through the notches between said teeth on the opposite arms of said pole bar whereby to engage upper and lower surfaces of said magnets and to maintain said magnets in vertically spaced relationship with said opposite arms.

References (Zited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,565,625 8/51 Phelon 317-159 FOREIGN PATENTS 902,091 7/62 Great Britain.

LARAMIE E. ASKIN, Primary Examiner.

JOHN F. BURNS, Examiner. 

1. IN A HOLDER FOR ARTICLES OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL, THE COMBINATION OF AN ELONGATED HOUSING OF NONMAGNETIC MATERIAL ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON A ROOM WALL SURFACE AND PARALLEL ELONGATED TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS AND OPPOSITING END WALLS, SAID FRONT WALL BEING PROVIDED WITH VERTICALLY SPACED UPPER AND LOWER SERIES OF LONGITUDINALLY ALIGNED AND LONGITUDINALLY SPACED HORIZONTAL SLOTS, A SPACER MEMBER AT A CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID HOUSING, A ONE-PIECE ELONGATED GENERALLY U-SHAPED POLE BAR OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL HAVING A FLAT GENERALLY RECTANGULAR BODY PORTIONS AND INTEGRAL FLAT UPPER AND LOWER ARM PORTIONS WHICH EXTEND IN THE SME DIRECTIN AND EACH OF WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH A LONGITUDINALLY SPACED SERIES OF NOTCHES DEFINING A LONGITUDINAL SERIES OF TEETH, SAID POLE BAR BEING DISPOSED BEHIND SAID FRONT WALL OF THE HOUSING WITH ITS BODY PORTION SPACED REARWARDLY FROM SAID FRONT WALL AND WITH THE TEETH ON SAID UPPER AND LOWER ARMS THEREOF PROJECTING FORWARDLY RESPECTIVELY THROUGH THE SLOTS IN SAID UPPER AND LOWER SERIES OF SLOTS SO THAT THE FRONT END SURFACES OF THE TEETH CAN ENGAGE AND HOLD ARTICLES OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL, MEANS DETACHABLY CONNECTING THE BODY PORTION OF SAID POLE BAR TO SAID HOUSING, AND SIMILAR FIRST AND SECOND ELONGATED GENERALLY RECTANGULAR CERAMIC MAGNETS HAVING OPPOSITE PARALLEL FLAT POLE FACES AT THE FRONT AND REAR, SAID MAGNETS BEING DISPOSED RESPECTIVELY ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SPACER MEMBER AND BETWEEN SAID FRONT WALL OF THE HOUSING AND THE BODY PORTION OF SAID POLE BAR WITH THE REAR POLE FACES OF THE MAGNETS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BODY PORTION OF THE POLE BAR AND WITH THE SIDES OF THE MAGNETS IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SAID UPPER AND LOER ARMS OF THE POLE BAR. 